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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. last — final
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. last — to go on
  23. kick — in football
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com